


Broken Chains

by DaniPotterLovesGod



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Axel's doing his own thing, Game: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Game: Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, I couldn't find the story I wanted to read so I'm writing my own, Marluxia wins, Namine shatters Sora's heart at the end of COM, No ships as of right now, Slow To Update, Sora has amnesia, zalgo text
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25252132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniPotterLovesGod/pseuds/DaniPotterLovesGod
Summary: Sora has no memories.  None.  All he knows is the white room that he's in.  Who even is he?Roxas wakes from his sleep with memories he hasn't had before, memories of his past life.Riku makes his way through Castle Oblivion, and what he finds at the top is not something he could have ever imagined.Namine didn't know she could feel so much guilt.  She knew she had done the wrong thing after shattering Sora's heart, but now they'll be together forever.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	1. Day 5

_Remember._

That was the only thing that was on his mind.

Remember what, he had no idea.

He just knew that there was _something_ he was missing.

Actually, there was a lot he was missing.

However, the white room he was in gave no clues. The only things in there were a chair and a bed, which he was currently seated upon.

This room felt so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

He looked down at his gloved hands. Somehow, these gloves didn’t feel quite right. They were a solid black and covered the entirety of his hands. He felt restricted in his movement. How, he wasn’t sure.

At that moment, there was a mass of black that opened up in the corner of his room.

 _Dark Corridor_ , his mind supplied. A man stepped through, followed by a girl with white-blonde hair.

“Good evening, Sora,” the man said.

 _Sora._ That was his name. This was a certainty.

“Do you know my name?” the man asked.

Sora searched his face. Something about this man was supposed to be familiar. The pink hair? No, Sora didn’t thank that was all that significant. Maybe it was the cloak? Sora had realized that they were wearing the same type of cloaks, even the same gloves.

But Sora couldn’t remember anything about the man. He shook his head.

“I see. Looks like we need another session, Naminé.”

The girl kept her eyes to the ground. She mumbled something.

“What was that?”

“I-it’s really hard making new links. I severed all the ones he had originally.”

“Is there a way to make a workaround?”

“I-I think so, but-“

“Get to work on it.” With that, the man disappeared in another Dark Corridor.

There were several moments of silence. Sora had almost forgotten that the man was there when the girl spoke again.

“Sora, I’m sorry.”

“What for?” Sora asked.

“You should hate me. I was the one that made you like this in the first place.”

“Well, this is all I can remember. I guess it wasn’t all that important if I forgot it all.”

Naminé winced. “You wouldn’t have forgotten at all if it weren’t for me.”

Sora wasn’t sure what to do with that information. It was true. He had no memory of anything outside of this room. For all he knew, he was born here and lived here his whole life. Naminé had caused this?

Then again, he wasn’t sure who Naminé was supposed to be to him in the first place.

Naminé opened a sketchbook and pulled a pencil from her bag. She sat on the chair across from him and began to draw.

“Do you really not remember who that man is?” she asked.

“I don’t. Is he supposed to be important to me?”

“He’s Marluxia, your superior.”

“Superior?”

Naminé nodded. Sora didn’t remember having a superior. Maybe that was why Marluxia had acted so coldly.

“And who are you to me?” Sora asked.

“Oh, I…” Naminé started. “We grew up together on the islands, though I imagine you forgot that, too.”

Sora scratched at the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess I did. I’m sorry I forgot you.”

Naminé winced again.

“Could you tell me some stories? About the islands?”

Naminé paused in her drawing. Her blue eyes met his for the first time since she entered the room. She then just as quickly flipped to a new page in her sketchbook and continued drawing. “They’re called Destiny Islands. There was one island you played on with some of your old friends, Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka.” As she spoke, Sora began to form a mental picture. He had no idea if this mental picture was correct, but it felt _right_. “Eventually, you met the superior, and here you are now.”

Who was the superior again? Naminé flipped back to the first page and held it up for Sora to see. In it was a pink-haired man wearing a black cloak, much like his own.

There was a familiarity all of a sudden, and Sora remembered seeing him a few minutes ago.

Naminé gave him a tight smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Looks like you’re starting to form memories again. That’s good.”

Sora narrowed his eyes a little. “How long have I been like this?”

“About five days now,” Naminé responded. “A few times a day, Marluxia and I have been checking on you, and this is the first time you’ve retained anything.”

Sora nodded. He examined his gloved hands again. “What happened to me?”

Naminé’s pencil stopped scratching on the sketchpad. “I… I’m not allowed to say.”

“O-oh,” Sora said. He took a longer look at Naminé. This girl before him definitely didn’t feel like much of a stranger as Marluxia – the Superior – had. Maybe they had grown up together. How did they end up meeting the Superior? Was he from the islands, too?

What did Sora do for the Superior?

Somehow, he was sure Naminé wouldn’t be able to tell him that either.

* * *

Roxas opened his eyes and quickly screwed them shut again. The light was too bright. His head ached. He counted to five before chancing to open them again.

He was in his room. Why was that? The last thing he remembered was his mission in Agrabah with Xigbar.

Did he get hurt? That must’ve been when it happened.

The dreams he’d been having, though, of the boy in red…

Who was he?

Roxas sat up, which was when he noticed the seashells next to his pillow. _Those came from the islands_ , he thought. Then he caught himself. The islands? A mental picture came to mind.

Home.

That was where he had grown up when he was still Sora.

Sora?

His Somebody?

More mental images came rushing to mind, only furthering Roxas’ headache. Once the flood of memories eased, he smiled. He had his memories back!

What better way to celebrate than with some ice cream?

Roxas made his way to the ice cream shop in Twilight Town. The woman at the counter blinked in what Roxas recognized as shock. “It’s been a while since you’ve been by! Almost a month now!”

Roxas’ eyes briefly widened. “Oh, I’ve been busy.” Almost a month? Was Axel back yet?

Oh.

He’d probably worried Xion. Maybe she was on the clocktower already.

Roxas made his way up. She wasn’t there yet. Maybe she was still on a mission.

He took a seat on the ledge and took a bite of the ice cream. Salty and sweet. Just as he remembered. This was something he had _not_ experienced when he was Sora. This was his own memory.

This was going to be really confusing to work through.

He was going to have a lot to write about in his journal later.

“Roxas!”

He turned and smiled. “Xion!”

“You’re awake! How long have you been here?”

“Not too long I don’t think,” Roxas said as Xion sat beside him. She, too, held an ice cream.

“Oh, I was going to bring this to you after I got back today,” she said. She pulled a seashell from her pocket, much like the ones that were next to Roxas’ pillow. “If you hold it to your ear, it sounds like the ocean.”

Roxas took the seashell from her outstretched hand and held it up to his ear and closed his eyes. A mental picture of himself and two others on a beach watching the sunset came to mind. This was another of Sora’s memories – _his_ memories. He recognized the other two people on the beach. Riku. Kairi.

“Munny for your thoughts?” Xion asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

“I dreamed about my past, who I was before I became a Nobody,” Roxas answered. He took another bite of ice cream.

“Oh? What were you like? You weren’t as loud as Demyx, were you?” Xion laughed. Roxas chuckled with her.

“No, thankfully not. I would _not_ want to meet his Somebody.” Roxas took another bite. “That seashell you gave me brought back memories of when I played on the beach with my friends, Riku and Kairi. Hmm… I wonder if they’re okay. Maybe I should visit them soon.”

“Aww, that’s sweet!” Xion looked like she was almost done with her ice cream. “What was your name?”

“Sora.”


	2. Day 8

The more time Sora spent with Naminé, the more he realized how important she was. How could he have forgotten her? He knew she blamed herself, but how could anyone like her hurt him?

For the past few days, she told him stories about himself to help regain his memory.

Even though it (supposedly) happened to him, Sora found it hard to believe.

Not too long ago, he had been a Keyblade wielder, fighting to defeat the Heartless. Naminé had told him that he had worked for the Superior before he’d lost his memories.

What did the Superior look like again?

Sora spotted one of Naminé’s drawings hanging on the wall.

Pink hair, right. Marluxia.

If Sora wanted to please the Superior and protect Naminé, he would need to train. If only he could summon the Keyblade again…

He held out his hand and focused.

Nothing.

“Trying to summon the Keyblade again?” Naminé asked. Sora smiled. Somehow, she always knew what was on his mind.

“Yeah, but I can’t figure out how I could do it before.”

“The first time it appeared to you, you were in danger. I’m not sure if you need to be to summon it again.”

Sora nodded. He focused again. Danger… He never wanted Naminé to be in danger. He was supposed to protect her. He’d promised.

However, with that urge to protect came a pounding headache. That happened every time. Sora didn’t know why, but he let this headache drive him. He _had_ to protect Naminé.

He focused on that promise.

A flash of light, and a weight in his hand that felt familiar, more familiar than anything else he’d experienced over the last eight days.

Sora opened his eyes. He didn’t even realize he’d closed them. In his hands was what he could describe as a giant key. His Keyblade!

_Kingdom Key…_

“Well done, Sora,” the Superior said.

Sora jumped. He hadn’t realized Marluxia was there. He must’ve only just arrived.

“Are you ready for some practice?”

* * *

Riku wasn’t quite sure how long he’d been here. He’d almost lost track of how many levels he’d ascended, but he was sure it was around nine or ten. Surely he’d get out of here sometime?

It surely hadn’t been uneventful. He’d struggled with his darkness that he’d inherited from Ansem almost ever floor he’d been ascending. However, that didn’t mean it didn’t have its uses. The Heartless and other strong enemies he’d encountered were, thankfully, easier to handle with it.

Darkness didn’t have to be all encompassing. It could be a tool to help him get out of here, like with the King’s light magic he was able to call upon.

A stench overwhelmed his senses. This still was so new, but handy at the same time. He knew when those figures in black were coming, or those fake heartless throughout the floors. This one was so familiar. Then he realized it was so close to his _own_.

The _other_ Riku appeared across from him. Riku summoned his sword.

“Riku, wait!” quacked a voice. From behind the Fake came two familiar figures.

“Donald? Goofy?” Riku cried incredulously. Jiminy Cricket appeared on Goofy’s shoulder. “What are you two doing here, with that _Fake_? Where’s Sora?”

The Fake narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. “Trust me, I’d rather not be here either.” Donald and Goofy shared a look with each other.

“Sora lost all his memories,” Goofy said. He cast his eyes down.

“We’ve been losing our memories ever since we got here,” Donald said, “but Sora was the worst. Naminé put memories in him and this Riku that weren’t real!”

“Then how did he lose them all?”

“Marluxia,” the Fake spat. “He _made_ her do it. He’s been trying to get control of Sora this whole time. And he did it.”

Riku’s knees shook. Control? All this time, he’d been worrying about losing control over himself while his best friend had his own control stripped away

Another Dark Corridor opened in a corner of the hallway, and out stepped the figure of Riku’s own struggles.

 _Ansem_.

Wait…

This wasn’t Ansem.

This was someone else.

How had he only just realized?

Well, he was still getting used to this whole scent thing.

Ansem _reeked_ of darkness.

This man smelled of… something else.

While the others quaked in shock, Riku and the Fake approached the man.

“You’re not Ansem,” they both said.

“Impressive, Riku,” he said as his features shifted. Well, Riku couldn’t see all his features still. Most of his face was covered in red wrappings that only revealed his mouth and a single orange eye. The rest of him was donned in red and black. He turned to the Fake. “Even you. I didn’t imagine that a replica would even have remotely the same abilities as the real thing.” He turned his attention to include Donald and Goofy. “You may call me DiZ. We must retreat.”

“ _What?_ ” cried Riku, Donald, and Goofy at once.

“We can’t leave Sora!” Goofy declared.

“Unfortunately, we must. Marluxia has much too tight a grip on Sora. It would be impossible to reach him.”

There was no way Riku could just _leave_ him, and it seemed the others felt the same, even the _Fake_. “We’re going after him,” Riku said.

“We promised Sora we’d help him remember!” Donald exclaimed. Goofy and Jiminy nodded along.

“I don’t have my journal anymore, but we can tell him stories!” Jiminy declared.

DiZ frowned. “So be it. You will not like what you find. Return here once you’re done.”

Riku turned to the others. “Let’s go save Sora.”

With that, the Fake opened a Dark Corridor. Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy went through it immediately. If they could trust the Fake, then so could Riku.

Though he didn’t have to like it.

Looked like the Fake didn’t, either.

Maybe they could get along for a bit.

On the other side of the Corridor, Riku was met with a familiar sight. This floor looked similar to the previous ones. The main difference was that there was a lattice and vine pattern on the walls. It was larger than the other halls, too.

“This was where we last saw them,” the Fake said.

“It was awful,” Goofy said.

“Maybe they’re in a different room,” the Fake continued. “There are rooms all over this castle. It’s just getting to the right one that’s the problem.”

“Why’s that?” Donald asked.

“This castle has a mind of its own.”

Riku sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.

* * *

It wasn’t long before Marluxia returned. Naminé looked up from her most recent sketch. It was a portrait of Sora and Riku. She wasn’t quite finished yet. She hadn’t drawn their expressions yet and wasn’t sure how to depict them. Marluxia had said to make some links to Riku. Though he hadn’t specified _how_ …

“The puppet is on his way up here,” Marluxia said.

Naminé kept her eyes on her sketchpad.

“He’s with the real thing, too.”

This slightly surprised her, though she tried not to let it show.

“Let’s see how Sora fairs against them.”

Naminé gripped her pencil tightly.

* * *

Riku wasn’t sure how long they’d been wandering the castle, though he knew it couldn’t have been long. The Fake did seem to have a general idea of where he was going, though.

A Dark Corridor opened up ahead of them.

Riku’s senses were flooded with unfamiliar scents. One was similar to Lexaeus, but the other was very familiar.

“Sora!” Donald and Goofy cried.

Sure enough, there he was. Behind him was a man with pink hair. Riku noticed immediately that Sora wasn’t in the brightly colored clothes he normally wore. Instead, he was in one of those black cloaks that Lexaeus and the pink-haired man. This had to be Marluxia. His blue eyes were narrowed, his face in a scowl. This was _very_ un-Sora-like.

“Look, Sora,” said Marluxia, “these are the ones that’re here to hurt Namine.”

Sora actually _growled_. He drew his Keyblade.

“No!” the Fake yelled. “All I’ve wanted to do is protect Naminé! Just like you!”

“I know that’s not true!” Sora replied. “All you want to do is hurt her!”

“Sora, don’t you recognize us?” Goofy asked.

For a brief second, it looked like Sora winced. Then he shook his head. “All I know is that I need to protect Namine from _you._ ”

Sora dashed forward, Keyblade at the ready. He was ready for a _fight_.

Riku and the Fake drew their identical swords. Riku made it to Sora first and blocked his first strike with _Soul Eater_.

“Sora, stop!” Riku yelled. “I don’t want to fight you!”

Sora broke contact and blocked a strike from the Fake. “You’re the one that hurt her!” he replied.

Riku shook his head and attempted to land a hit with the blunt side of his sword. Sora easily slid out of the way. Despite not having his memories, he still knew how to fight.

“You know I wouldn’t!” Riku winced and amended his statement. “Not on purpose!” He’d hurt Sora, Kairi, and many more before he came to this castle. But he’d make up for it. He had to, and he could do that right now.

Sora threw his Keyblade in a Strike Raid. Riku ducked under it and rolled, firing a Dark Fira in retaliation. Sora dodged, but leapt straight into the Fake, who slashed into his side, also with the blunt edge. Sora hissed in pain and struck the Fake with the Keyblade.

“What about Kairi?” Riku cried.

Sora froze. He screwed his eyes shut and winced in pain.

Riku understood.

Kairi was the key.

“You promised me you would take care of her.”

Sora dropped the Keyblade and put his hands to his head. The pain seemed to have gotten worse.

Riku took a few steps closer. “Sora-“

Whatever Riku was about to say was cut off. Vines sprung up between them, cutting Sora and Marluxia off from view.

“No!”

Riku slashed at the vines. He didn’t know what Marluxia would do to Sora, probably use a Dark Corridor and get away. Riku couldn’t let that happen.

Donald appeared beside him and blasted the vines with Firaga. This helped, but it still wasn’t _fast enough_.

After what felt like forever, they finally broke through.

But Sora was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Donald and Goofy still go into their card formats during combat while they're in Castle Oblivion!
> 
> Also, we get a look at Riku and Repliku!


	3. Day 8 (cont):  Kairi

_Sora: Day 8 (continued)_

Sora felt like he’d fought a hundred Heartless just after that fight with the two Rikus. And it wasn’t just the fight with them. It was what one of them – the real one, Sora thought – had said.

K̴̡͍͕̺̱̲̈́̒͊͆͑̈́̒̉͒̈̉̒͜͜͝a̸̧̡̢̝̭̹͙̮͚͒̌͆͑͐̽̉̈́̐̽̐͘͘͝i̶̡͙̖̬̫̪͑̃͊̃̈́͘͝r̸̨̟̙̞̣͎̺̹̘͍̺̋̎ḯ̷̯͖̱̰̘͈̲̺̦͔̆͋̉͐̓͌̇͝͠͠

Just trying to think of what Riku had said brought a sharp pain to his head.

He couldn’t even think about it.

What was going on?

Sora brought his hands to his head and massaged his temples, trying to get this most recent headache to go away.

After what felt like forever, Sora felt the pain recede. He was back in his room. The Superior must have dropped him off here and left. Naminé wasn’t here, either.

With how exhausted he was, Sora contemplated calling it a night and going to sleep. But he was too antsy. He needed to train some more.

He returned to the thirteenth floor. Sora wasn’t quite sure why, but the Superior told him he needed to stay on this one. Something to do with his memories, most likely.

The thirteenth floor of Castle Oblivion was special. One didn’t need a world card to be able to traverse it. And that was when Sora realized it: he couldn’t form world cards. Likely because he couldn’t remember any of the worlds he’d been told he visited.

And even then, he wasn’t sure what any of the other worlds were like. Naminé hadn’t really told him much about them. As Sora encountered some Heartless, he had to wonder: What were other worlds like? Were they like this castle, large, empty, and so blindingly white? Were they like Naminé’s drawings, colorful?

Sora wasn’t sure how long he’d spent like that: pondering and slaying Heartless. He fell into a rhythm, which allowed him to think more. He took down the last Darkball in the room. That was when he noticed Naminé on the other side of the room.

“I heard about your fight with the Rikus,” she said. “How did that feel?”

How did it _feel_? Sora wasn’t expecting that. During the fight, he hadn’t thought about how he felt. He just wanted to protect Naminé. But that was a want. He focused again on the fight. What did he _feel_?

_Hurt._

“I felt hurt,” Sora replied. “But I’m not sure why. You told me that me and Riku used to be best friends. What happened?”

Naminé looked down and brought her fingers together. “There’s a lot that happened. And I’m not sure how much I can tell you.”

“Oh,” Sora said. He felt disappointment rise within him. There may be something else she could talk about, though it would definitely give him a headache. “There was something else Riku talked about, and it really makes my head hurt to even think about it. Naminé, who’s K̴̛̛̼̫͇͈̮̮̖͊̽͆̂̍͋͋͆̿͐̅̄͒̿̅̉̈̈̅̈́̑͆̍̈́͑̚͘̚̚̕͠å̶̢̡̢̛̹̝͖̤̘̩̹͈̤̪̠̩̻͆̓͋̈̐͗̃̽̉̈͒̑̒̀̓̓̈́͑͑̏͋̽̽̏͑̌̕̕̚͘͠͠͠͝i̸̧̡̧̨̨̢̛̝͖̥̮̙̰̺͍͇̜̠͔̲̟̱̣̟͕͍̞̣̝̼̼̻̞̩̦̭̭̤̪̤͈̳͕̳͓̤̹̱͕̱͓͍̲͖̔̌̅̐͂͋̇̐͂̈́̏͆͛̐͛̈́͜͜ͅr̷̢̹̰͉͓͙̜͉̱̫̳̼͕̣̩̗̩̮̩̦͔̰̪͎̤͉̩̳̪̞̈́̑͜ͅi̵̡̢̧͓̺̦̫̮̩̹̮̫̤̥̭̬̩̪̰̺͉͎͉̝̦̻̙̟̎͒̔̉̓̔͋̓͒͒̏͊͊̈́̇̆̏̄̀͌͌͗͐̀͘͝ͅͅ?”

As expected, Sora’s head exploded with pain. He put his hands to his head and hunched over. He felt like he was going to be sick. But it was worth it. He had to know why this name made his head _hurt_ so much.

Eventually, Sora realized he was seated on the ground, Naminé next to him. There was worry in those indigo eyes. “Are you okay?” she asked.

Sora nodded. That headache was worse. Why? What was it about that name that was so painful?

But still, he had to know. Something piqued his curiosity, and Sora wasn’t entirely sure why.

“Who is that person?” he tried instead. No headache this time.

Naminé sighed and looked away. She took a few moments before she answered. “She was… another close friend. Kind of like Riku.” Her words were slow, like she was trying to say the right thing.

“And you?” Sora added.

Naminé grimaced. “Yeah, and me.”

“But, why don’t I get a headache when I hear Riku’s name?”

“You lost your memories of her in a… different way. And now, I can’t even access those memories.”

Sora folded his arms. “I’m probably gonna forget about this, aren’t I?” Over the last couple of days, he’d been iffy on how much he remembered. He could never remember what meals he’d had, or even if he’d eaten. His only way of judging that for the moment was asking Naminé and taking stock of how hungry he was. He couldn’t even remember what Heartless he’d fought.

“It’s possible,” Naminé replied. “Your memory’s been improving, though, so you might remember it.”

Sora laid down, his arms above his head. “I wish I could remember visiting those other worlds. They can’t all be like the Castle, right?”

“They’re not. They’re all so different from here and even each other.”

“Have you been to any of them?”

Naminé shook her head. “All I know is Castle Oblivion.” She turned her gaze away. “I’ve never been outside of the walls.”

Sora considered this for a moment before he grabbed Naminé’s hand. “One day, we’ll go and see all the worlds! You, me, Riku, and – and her!”

“Sora…” Naminé trailed off. She smiled. “That sounds wonderful!”

Sora held out a gloved pinkie. “Promise?” There weren’t many things (if anything, really) that felt familiar. This, though… this felt right.

Naminé hesitated. “Aren’t you worried you’ll forget?”

Sora shook his head. “I don’t forget promises.”

Naminé smiled and entwined her pinkie with his. “Promise.”

Sora was going to have to write this down. Or get Naminé to draw it. He never wanted to forget a promise.

* * *

_Roxas: Day 53_

Zexion had returned from Castle Oblivion. His report was mixed. They had lost several members, though Zexion didn’t seem to know who exactly. He had also said that their mission was successful… whatever that mission was.

Roxas didn’t care. There wasn’t any news about Axel. Was he among the… deceased?

Roxas didn’t like to think about that. It made his chest hurt in a way he couldn’t describe.

After the meeting, Roxas wandered the halls. But this, he found, only seemed to make his chest pound and his hands twitch. He couldn’t even find Xion to talk to her.

Then he thought of the girl that helped cheered him up when he was Sora.

 _Kairi_.

The name, though, didn’t seem to bring an image to mind.

He had to go and visit her, though, to let him know he was okay.

Well, relatively. He wasn’t Sora anymore. Hadn’t been for a while.

But still, he should go talk to her.

His mind made up he opened a portal to Destiny Islands.

The sea breeze ruffled his hair as he stepped through. Roxas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then something new gripped his chest.

Nostalgia.

Roxas observed the beach around him. There, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie had played together, himself and Riku would playfight nearby. Kairi would often watch and would occasionally (rarely) join in.

However, there was no one here. They must be on the main island.

He figured that it wouldn’t hurt to spend some time here, though. It was the first time he was seeing his home with these eyes.

Roxas saw the paopu tree, the one Sora, Riku, and Kairi used to hang out on. He approached it, and took his, Sora’s, familiar spot.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there watching the ocean until he heard footsteps behind him.

Behind him stood a girl about his age (or Sora’s age) with short auburn hair. Her indigo eyes sparkled with curiosity and a little bit of… suspicion?

That didn’t matter. It was _Kairi_.

“Kairi…” Roxas whispered.

“Who are you?” she replied.

Roxas dropped his gaze, another new feeling in his chest erupted. _Disappointment._ “I guess you don’t recognize me, huh?”

Kairi narrowed her eyes, like she was contemplating him. “You’re familiar… yet not.”

“I look a little different, but… I’m still him.”

Kairi’s eyes suddenly widened. “Sora?”

Roxas nodded. “Yeah, it’s me. Well, I go by Roxas now, but I have all my memories from before. I’m his Nobody.”

“His what?”

“Whenever I – he – released your heart in Hollow Bastion, that’s how I was created. I’m sorry I took so long to come back to you.”

Kairi shook her head. “That can’t be right! I brought Sora back when he was a Heartless!”

Roxas looked away. She was right. That was definitely strange. Roxas thought back to a couple months ago. He remembered plunging the Keyblade into his chest and how cold he’d felt.

And then…

Waking up in Twilight Town.

But then Kairi’s arms around him.

Completing his first mission with Axel and ice cream after.

Making his way through fragments of worlds with Donald and Goofy at his side.

Roxas didn’t realize how much his head was _aching_ until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes. When did he end up on the ground?

“Are you okay?” Kairi asked. There was concern in her eyes.

Roxas was eventually able to get himself to nod. “I don’t understand,” he eventually said. He sat up. “I have memories of being myself. But then I also remember being Sora after I released your heart. Everything’s mixed up.” He wished Axel were around. Maybe he would know something.

Kairi’s eyes widened again, her face pale. “If you have all of his memories, even the ones after he came back, something must’ve happened to him.”

Roxas searched Sora’s memories. It was hard at first to tell which were his own and which were his Somebody’s. He then realized he needed to search for the memories that included Donald and Goofy. Then, it was much easier.

“We – they – defeated Ansem. I remember seeing you after, then we got separated. Donald, Goofy, and I wandered what was left of the End of the World for a while, then we ended up in this really grassy world. We found Pluto and followed him for a while but lost sight of him. Then-“ Roxas gasped. “There was a man in a black coat, one just like mine!”

“Do you know him?” Kairi asked.

Roxas observed the memory as closely as he could. He wasn’t able to focus on it as well as he would like, but the man’s figure was familiar. This only made Roxas more confused. “Yeah,” he eventually said. “I work with him in the Organization. His name is Marluxia.”

“Who’s this Organization? What do they want with Sora? What-“

“Hold on, let me think!” Roxas cut her off. He turned away and started to pace.

He was Sora’s Nobody, but Sora’s heart wasn’t lost. He was returned to his body and was still independent of Roxas. They were coexisting, which Roxas didn’t think could happen. Then there was the appearance of Marluxia, who was on the C.O. team.

“The C.O. team…” Roxas realized.

“What’s that?”

“Castle Oblivion. Some of our number were sent there for a mission. They didn’t say in the gathering what it was. But Marluxia was there in Sora’s memory. Maybe that was their mission? To get him there?”

“Do you have any of Sora’s memories of it?”

Roxas closed his eyes. He tried to come up with anything post-Marluxia, though it was more difficult. These memories were less clear, though he had an impression that he was in a very pristinely white area. He relayed this to Kairi, who looked away in disappointment.

“I got all of Sora’s memories a couple of days ago. It was all jumbled up and scattered, like a far-off dream. The pieces have been lining up, though, and I’m sure these will, too.”

Kairi nodded. “When will you come back?”

“Probably in a couple of days, and I’ll let you know if I hear anything else of the C.O. team.”

Kairi smiled. “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally started using dialogue similar to the opening lines of Kingdom Hearts II, so I just went all in!


	4. Chapter 4

Riku sighed heavily. It had been a day since he, the Fake, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy had faced Sora. Though DiZ had told them to return to him, they certainly weren’t in a hurry. Since yesterday, no one had really said anything.

Riku was still trying to process the entire ordeal. Sora didn’t recognize them. He was with the people in black cloaks.

What exactly did they want with him?

Was there any hope in getting him back?

What if there wasn’t?

_Riku…_

Riku stopped in his tracks and looked around. It didn’t look like anyone had said anything.

_Riku…_

“Who said that?” he asked. He turned and faced his companions. They shrugged, and Donald and Goofy looked concerned.

“We didn’t say anything,” said Goofy. 

“You must be imagining things,” Donald added.

Wonderful. In addition to everything else, Riku was going crazy.

_I know you can feel it… The grip I have on your heart._

Riku put a hand to his chest.

No. Not now. Not Ansem.

_You have let in the darkness, Riku. That means very soon, your heart shall become an all-consuming darkness._

“I’m not like that now!” Riku said out loud.

“What’s wrong, Riku?” Goofy asked. He approached the teen.

 _Yes, you are,_ Ansem snapped.

Riku felt piercing cold grip his chest. His muscles locked. He couldn’t move. Wisps of darkness rose in front of his vision.

“Riku!” Donald cried.

“It’s his darkness!” the Fake exclaimed. “He can’t control it!”

Riku tried to focus on their words, but as each second passed, it became more and more of a challenge.

 _The deeper the darkness runs inside you, the stronger I become,_ Ansem’s voice boomed. _Controlling you is effortless._

“Fight it!” the Fake yelled. “It’s your darkness! You control it!”

The cold spread. The iciness seeped into his veins, making him shudder. It was getting hard to even breathe.

To think he’d once craved this.

Now, it disgusted him.

It _scared_ him.

Then suddenly-

Ansem grunted in frustration. _Must you interfere again?_

Light filled Riku’s vision, and the cold receded to be replaced by calming warmth. He was able to move again. He tried to catch his breath.

“Phew! Sure glad I made it in time!” a bright, familiar voice exclaimed. “That oughta keep Ansem busy for a while!”

“Your Majesty!” Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy exclaimed.

Riku turned. Sure enough, there was King Mickey, his only companion in the Realm of Darkness and guide in this castle. Riku reached out to touch him, to see if he was real. Before he could, though, Donald and Goofy had already embraced him.

“You’re really here,” Riku said weakly.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you,” the King said as he approached Riku. “But I made a promise to you that I would find a way, didn’t I?”

Riku fell to his knees. The weight of the previous days seemed to have finally caught up with him. He’d been pushing it away for so long.

The others made their ways to his side. “I’m alright,” Riku said as he waved them off. “I’m just relieved.”

The King glanced around the hall a couple more times. “Wait a minute, isn’t Sora with you?”

The glee that had filled the room instantly evaporated. “A lot of things have happened the last while,” Jiminy replied.

It was then that Riku realized how long it had been since Sora had lost his memories.

Nine days. Even though Riku had only known of this since yesterday, it still felt like entirely too long. Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy took turns explaining what happened. Riku took this time to tune them out, but he did notice the King’s expression grow more and more worried as the three told their stories.

“What about you?” the King asked, turning his attention to the Fake.

The Fake, who had been leaning against the wall, stood taller. “I am a Replica. I was originally created to test the Real Thing’s strength and return him to darkness.” Riku flinched. “The people that created me then had Naminé implant fake memories in me.” The Fake looked away. “I hope she’s okay.”

“What’s your name?” the King asked, kindness in his voice.

“My name?” the Fake asked, surprise written on his face. “I’ve been calling myself Riku and Fake for so long, but neither of those names fit me anymore.”

Riku looked away. He’d been perpetuating that. Though while this boy shared his appearance, he was becoming his own person.

“What about Shin?” Riku asked. “It means ‘real’ or ‘new’ where I come from.”

The boy crossed his arms and contemplated it.

“I’ve also been calling you Fake,” Riku continued. “And I shouldn’t do that. You shouldn’t have to base your life around mine.”

“Yeah, you’re a person, Shin!” Goofy said. He put his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Nice to officially meet you, Shin!” Donald added.

Jiminy piped up from Goofy’s shoulder, journal in hand. “I can’t wait to get to know you, Shin!”

The King approached the boy and held out his hand. “Good to meet ya, Shin!”

Shin accepted the King’s hand and shook it. A small smile formed on his face. “It’s good to meet you, too.” Shin then looked to Riku, who nodded. Shin took a deep breath as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

The King turned to the others. “Now to figure out the next step. You tried to get to Sora, but Marluxia has control of him. What about Naminé?”

“It looked like Naminé didn’t want to do what Marluxia told her,” Goofy commented.

“We may be able to convince her to help us,” Shin added. “Marluxia and Larxene were always awful to her, and they made her do things she never wanted.”

“And Sora would do anything to protect Naminé,” Donald said.

“So,” Mickey said, “what I’m hearing is that we need to talk to Naminé and see if she’d be able to convince Sora to go with us.”

The group nodded. “But first, we need to talk with DiZ,” Riku stated. At the King’s questioning look, he continued, “he met us here yesterday and looked like Ansem at first. Then he told us that Marluxia has too tight of a grip on Sora.” Riku turned his gaze to the ground. “And he was right. He told us to go back to him, but we’ve just been taking our time.”

The King nodded. “Well, let’s hurry!”

Shin opened a Dark Corridor, and the group proceeded through.

* * *

Axel shifted from his hiding place after the Dark Corridor dissolved away. Like always, those with hearts always confused him. They were willing to do everything they could for those they loved. Axel couldn’t say when the last time he’d cared for someone was. Sure, he stuck with Saïx, but that was because of their former lives, back when they had hearts.

Speaking of Saïx, Axel was going to have some interesting news for him.

Still, he couldn’t return yet. This was just starting to get interesting!

He wondered if he’d be able to reach Naminé…

Maybe he could sway her again.

* * *

With newfound resolve, it wasn’t long before Riku and the others made it back to DiZ. His visible, orange eye was narrowed.

“So?” he asked as the group approached.

After a second to compose himself, Riku spoke. “You were right. Sora is under their control. He doesn’t remember us. He only knows my name.”

“As I expected,” DiZ responded. Riku frowned and crossed his arms. He wasn’t exactly fond of DiZ’s tone. He almost felt like he was back in school getting told off. “This group has been working to erase Sora’s memories so they can attain the power of the Keyblade. They have succeeded. What their purpose for him is, I am not yet sure, though I do have theories. One of their number also has the ability, so as of this moment, I do not know why they need Sora.”

“There are more out there than the ones we fought?” Donald asked in alarm.

“Oh yes,” DiZ answered. “They recently recruited numbers XIII and XIV to their rank. The members that were here constituted about half of them.”

Goofy started counting on his fingers. “Let’s see… there was Axel, Larxene, Vexen, and Marluxia.”

“And Lexaeus and Zexion,” Riku added. “I defeated Lexaeus before I met up with everyone.”

“Sora beat Larxene and Axel. And Axel,” Donald shuddered, “killed Vexen.”

“So that’s four down and ten to go,” the King concluded. “That is a lot of them, but we know it’s possible to beat them.”

“But what can we do about Naminé and Sora?” Shin asked. “We need to free them somehow.”

Riku noticed DiZ’s lip curl as Shin spoke. “We may be able to retrieve them. If it comes to it, however, we may need to strike Sora down.”

Riku’s eyes widened. “No way!” he cried. “Sora never gave up on me, so I’m not gonna give up on him!” Shin nodded with him in agreement, his fists clenched.

“And we promised Sora we’d help him remember!” Goofy exclaimed.

“Yeah!” Donald agreed. “We’ve turned our backs on him before, but we’re not gonna make that mistake again!”

“I’ve only met Sora once,” the King said, “but I know he wouldn’t want us to give up on him.”

DiZ narrowed his visible eye. “I suppose we will have to wait and see. For now, though, we must retreat and recuperate.”

The group sighed, but it seemed everyone was in agreement. They needed to spend some time to recover from the ordeals of this castle and come up with a plan for rescuing Sora.

* * *

_Roxas: Day 54_

Once Roxas started writing, it was hard to stop. He wrote down the memory of Sora meeting Marluxia for the first time. After that, it was like releasing a flood. His pen hardly left the page as it described the thoughts and events Sora had endured all the way up to the 13th floor. His memories about that floor and anything following were still hazy.

He didn’t realize how long he’d been at his desk until he looked up and noticed the time on his clock. Roxas cringed and stood. He was stiff but not nearly as bad as when he’d woken up the other day.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been sitting there. It was impossible to tell how much time had passed just judging by the sky. There weren’t any stars or a moon to help with that.

As he readied himself for bed, Roxas started forming a plan for the next day. He would accept his mission like normal and complete it as quickly as he could. Then, he would go to Destiny Islands and talk to Kairi about everything he’d written. He would need to remember to take his journal with him.

Hopefully, he’d still have time to go to the castle. Maybe memories of the 13th floor would return to him.

There was something really wrong happening at Castle Oblivion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow, it just feels right to give Repliku his own name. He's not Riku, and I don't think he'd really classify as Riku's Nobody either. So, here we have a new name for Repliku!
> 
> And it looks like Axel's doing his own thing again!


	5. Sora:  Day 10

Sora: Day 10

Over the last few days of training, Sora had noticed himself become stronger. He had no way of knowing how strong he was before he’d lost his memories, but that didn’t really matter to him. All he knew was that he needed to keep getting stronger to protect Naminé.

Why did he need to protect Naminé again? He couldn’t remember.

There were those two boys that he fought… yesterday? The day before?

It was hard to keep track now.

He cast his gaze around his room, scanning each of Naminé’s drawings. She had pinned a few more to the walls, and he thought there may be some missing.

One in particular caught his eye. It was a drawing of himself in his cloak holding his Keyblade. The other boy in the drawing ( _Riku,_ his mind supplied after a second) had his peculiar sword in hand. What caught Sora’s attention the most, however, was the expressions. The fact there were expressions in the first place was odd. In each of the other drawings around the room, Naminé drew simple expressions, typically choosing to focus more on the scenery or the action. This was the only drawing Sora knew of where he could see the expressions, and he wasn’t sure he liked what he saw.

Sora’s own expression seemed to be that of anger. His eyes were narrowed in concentration, brows furrowed, ready to fight. Riku’s own expression… Was that sadness? Sora looked closer. Riku’s eyebrows were arched up, and it even looked like tears were streaming down his face. His sword was visible, though it wasn’t held in his fighting stance.

The longer Sora looked at this drawing, the more it made his heart hurt. He knew that he and Riku had grown up with Naminé and… her… but were he and Riku still friends? Why did he feel so much hurt? _Did_ Riku want to hurt Naminé?

At that thought, Sora stepped back. He _had_ to protect Naminé at all costs. No matter what.

Even if it meant fighting his old friend again.

He heard a Dark Corridor open and wrenched his gaze from the drawing. The Superior stepped through.

“I’ve been impressed with your progress,” Marluxia said. “It seems you’ve retained your abilities.”

Sora gave him a brief nod.

“I think it’s time to give you your first mission.” Sora couldn’t help the thrill of excitement he felt. This would be his first mission that he could remember, and he wouldn’t let the Superior down! “But first, let’s discuss _why_ we’re doing missions.”

“…Okay?” Sora _definitely_ wasn’t expecting that. He was just ready to get out there, and maybe even see a new world!

“Not so long ago, oh, about eight months, I was found by Organization XIII. I had only recently become a Nobody, but I had no sense of who I was before then. See, like you, I lost my memories. The leader of the Organization promised that, should I join him, I would recover my lost memories. It wasn’t long after that a former associate and I realized that our _leader_ never actually intended to reward our efforts. Instead, he wanted to keep it all for himself. He never actually intended to help me restore my memories.

“Now, however, I have the ability to do just that, thanks to Naminé. Not only that, with you by my side, we can exact revenge on Xemnas and all who stand with him.”

Sora crossed his arms. Revenge? He didn’t realize that that was what he was training for. Just the thought of revenge on anyone made his stomach churn.

Did he know this when he started working for the Superior?

How long had he been working for the Superior?

…What kind of person was he like before he lost his memories?

That question scared him the most. He had no idea who he used to be. Only a name and what Naminé told him.

What would Naminé think?

He was dimly aware that the Superior was talking, but none of his words made it to his head. Then, it took him a few moments to realize that Marluxia had quit speaking and was instead staring at him. Sora blinked and shook his head.

“Interesting,” the Superior said. “You have lost your memories and still feel strong emotions. Granted, you are – well, mostly – whole.”

Sora wasn’t even sure what to say to that. Instead, he tried to focus on what the Superior was saying.

“To repeat myself, there is a member I would like to recruit to our cause: Number IX, Demyx, like the element that he controls, he tends to stick to the path of least resistance. Your mission is to either sway him to our cause or destroy him.”

Sora couldn’t help his gasp. Marluxia narrowed his eyes.

“Superior?” he finally asked. Marluxia nodded, giving Sora permission to continue. “What kind of person was I before?”

The Superior was silent for a few moments. He seemed to be making some quick decisions. “That doesn’t matter now. Who you were is no more. You are now the Keybearer, chosen to take down the Organization.”

Sora shook his head. “That’s not me.” He instantly snapped his mouth shut. He had _never_ (that he could remember, anyways) spoken out against the Superior. He kept silent and straightened up as he waited to see what Marluxia would do.

The Superior’s expression never changed from that narrow-eyed glare from moments earlier. “I see that some of who you _were_ has decided to peek out. Remember, you are not that person anymore. Your role as the Keybearer is to take down the evil that is Organization XIII.”

The more Marluxia told him, the more questions he had. Who exactly was this Organization? Were they really evil?

Sora almost didn’t notice the Superior speaking to him again. “There are times I almost envy you, Keybearer. The rage, the horror your feel. I can almost imagine what emotions are like. But for our purposes, you won’t be needing those.”

Sora’s brow raised. “I won’t need my… emotions?”

“We won’t turn you into a Nobody like myself. You’re much more useful as you are. Naminé?”

Marluxia turned, and Naminé, via a Dark Corridor, entered from behind.

Sora felt his heart pound. “Naminé? W-what are you going to do to me?” He couldn’t even begin to comprehend the pain that was in his chest. This was _Naminé_ , his best friend, someone he depended on.

The girl before him flinched and curled up on herself. “I’m so sorry, Sora. I don’t want to do this.”

Marluxia sneered. “You’ll do it, or I’ll turn you into a Dusk.”

Sora didn’t know what a Dusk was, but he was sure Naminé didn’t want to get turned into one. _He_ didn’t want her to get turned into one, either. He swallowed his fear. He would have to trust that Naminé would still take care of him after this. And that was terrifying. “Just do it, Naminé,” he found himself saying. No matter what, he didn’t want to see her hurt.

But when her eyes met his, he knew he had already done just that.

Sora had no idea anyone could look this hurt.

Her eyes were filled with tears, and she shook her head.

Sora took a deep breath and tried to smile. “I’ll be okay.”

“Your heart’s already damaged enough,” Naminé responded, her voice barely audible. “I don’t know what blocking your emotions will do to it.”

Sora looked to the Superior, whose frown had deepened further. He turned his gaze back to Naminé. “Please, just do it,” he said. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t care what happens to me, so long as you’re okay.”

She nodded, a few tears escaping her blue eyes.

Sora didn’t ever think he’d be the cause of so much pain in those eyes.

Naminé approached him and placed a hand on his head.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

And then he was falling…

* * *

Roxas: Day 55

Roxas wasn’t sure when he’d be returning to the Castle That Never Was. He figured, initially, that he’d be there as long as he needed to figure out the secrets of the 13th floor.

What he didn’t figure, however, was that Kairi would want to go with him. Honestly, he should’ve expected her to, since she was adventurous as Sora and Riku, and Sora had left her behind when he faced Ansem.

“I don’t want to have to worry about you,” Roxas had told her.

“That’s okay, you won’t need to!” she’d replied enthusiastically and explained that Aerith had taught her magic.

Roxas hoped she was right. He was still learning how to fight with his own and Sora’s fighting styles. Though they were similar, Roxas had developed his own before he’d gained Sora’s memories.

It was definitely strange, entering Castle Oblivion. He had clear memories of pushing open the giant doors, conversations with Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy. Roxas hoped they were okay. It was something else entirely for him to experience it. Not with Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy.

So far so good. No headaches.

Roxas hoped it would stay that way.

Now that he was here, he didn’t know if they’d be able to unravel the secrets.

That didn’t mean they couldn’t try anyways.

With that, he pushed open the door.

* * *

Naminé sat with her sketchpad in her lap. There were only a few lines haphazardly sketched across it. Her crayon was in her hand, but she couldn’t find any strength to lift it. Her eyes were instead on the pod before her. Sora floated inside, his cloak billowing around him as if he were underwater. Could she even call him Sora anymore? She was taking more of what made him… well, _him_ and she’d already taken his memories. Now that she was taking his emotions, what could be left of him?

A Dark Corridor opened behind her. Marluxia had to have been coming to check on her progress. She couldn’t make her crayon make contact with the paper. He wouldn’t be pleased about her progress. Or lack thereof.

“You’ve made some interesting choices,” a voice that definitely wasn’t Marluxia’s said. Naminé didn’t bother turning her head. She felt herself tense.

“I didn’t have a choice, Axel,” she forced herself to answer.

Axel chuckled, though it was hollow. It wasn’t a real laugh like Sora’s. “You know Sora would tell ya differently.”

“He told me to do it,” Naminé said. Her grip on her crayon tightened. She was almost sure it was going to break. “Marluxia would’ve killed him.”

“You don’t know that,” Axel retorted. “If you’re so sure your hero wouldn’t have beaten the bad guy… well, you don’t trust him all that much, do you?”

Naminé was silent. _Did_ she trust Sora? She’d trusted – _hoped_ – that he would come to rescue her from Marluxia and Larxene. And then they had backed her into a corner. She had to shatter his memories. He’d _told_ her to do it. She remembered one fleeting thought she’d had right before doing it: she’d thought about trying to get away from Marluxia.

But she’d been too scared.

And she was scared now.

The silence between them was deafening. It felt like forever before Axel spoke again. “Roxas and Kairi are here.”

Naminé dropped her crayon. She could feel herself shaking. “If he sees them… I don’t know how he’ll handle it. He already has a hard time hearing her name.”

“You’re her shadow, though. You’ve been through all his memories. Don’t you think she’ll do everything she can?”

Naminé couldn’t argue with that. If only she had just half of the determination her other had…

“So…” Axel said. “What’re you going to do about it?”

Her breath caught.

Axel never ceased to confuse her. She never knew where his intentions lay. What exactly did he want her to do?

What did _she_ want to do?

She wasn’t sure how to answer that.

She thought she knew when Sora was still floors below, on his way to rescue her.

But now that he was here?

And it was _her fault_ he was like this anyways.

“I want to make things right,” she finally said.

Axel was silent for a moment. “And how would you go about doing that?”

Naminé ran things over in her mind. She had broken the chains of memories in Sora’s heart. Just because the chains were broken, however, didn’t mean that they couldn’t be mended.

She would need Roxas, though. No doubt, Sora’s memories had followed an almost invisible chain straight to his Nobody. She would need his help later. His _and_ Kairi’s.

She hadn’t dreamed she’d ever meet her. She thought Castle Oblivion was all that she would ever know. She’d feared that, once Marluxia and Larxene had finished with her, she would disappear.

Kairi was the key to Sora losing his memories.

Maybe she could be the key to eventually restoring him.

With that realization, dozens of ideas and plans flit through her head until she settled on one she thought could work.

Naminé would need for all of the right dominos to fall into place. Kairi would have to be the first one.

Decision set, she picked her crayon from the floor and began drawing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw that there's another fic like this where Marluxia wins! I'm so excited to see another on here! I haven't read it yet, though I really want to, because I don't want to accidentally borrow ideas! I'm looking forward to reading it once I finish this!
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to go with a biological approach on how Namine works with Sora's memories. IRL, memories are stored in different parts of the brain with the hippocampus as the control center for memory retrieval. Sever that, and then you have some form of amnesia. It's kinda like a spectrum of how much memory loss you have. This is retrograde amnesia. There's also anterograde, or inability to form new memories. Sora has both, which is also possible IRL. His memories are there, the control center (hippocampus) just doesn't have connection to the rest of his brain. Also like in the game!
> 
> Anyways, like in the tags, I wanted to read something like this, because the implications are huge. What if Namine had followed Marluxia's orders? Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find anything like it. Therefor, that's were this came from!


End file.
